Week 6


In a way, Peeta completely gaffing and asking awkward questions about her deceased father actually made things better. Somehow, by some miracle, it bridged some invisible gap that Peeta had never understood and knocked down a wall at the same time. Their relationship shifted in a way he could have never guessed and they were suddenly no longer just trainer and client, but they were friends.

It did however, still shock the crap out of him when she did what she did next.

He was still wiping the sweat off his reddened face when she approached him after his Thursday workout, grimacing in the mirror at the way he'd sweat through his grey t-shirt. A nervous glance around the gym assured him that sweating through clothing wasn't uncommon, but he still wasn't sure how he felt about it in front of Katniss. He'd worked hard that day, spurred on by the fact that he was officially down another five pounds, putting him at sixteen pounds gone. The glee had worn off after forty five minutes of weights and the stair master, but he would take what he could get.

Katniss was still making notes on her clipboard, scratching away with her loopy, uneven handwriting as he tossed his towel in the dirty laundry bin. Not all the cupcakes in the world could trade the feeling of her glee when she'd read the numbers on the scale to him. It was motivation at its finest.

"You know I have to wash those later, right?" she asked dryly.

He balked, glancing at the bin then back at her with his good mood instantly shattered. Should he not have thrown that there? Panic welled inside his chest until she burst into laughter.

"Jesus Peeta, you looked like you were a deer in headlights!" she laughed. "It's totally not my week, its Jo's. You looked like you were ready to pick them up and haul them home to wash yourself!" she snorted.

Cracking a smile, he shook his head at her ribbing and tried not to blush too hard. Glancing around the gym, his eyes easily spotted the small girl with the red streaks in her hair that Katniss called Jo. Despite her petite frame, every inch of her that her Panem Fitness uniform showed was alive with lithe muscles and sharp angles. Her piercing shrieks would occasionally break through the noisy gym and made Peeta jump every time. He didn't want to imagine what fresh hell her workouts were like.

"Sorry, I….you got me, alright," he lamented lamely, shrugging. Katniss followed his gaze to Jo, and she snorted.

"She's not all bad," she assured him with a wry little smile. Peeta watched as she sat on the back of the large man she was coaching, creating resistance as he did pushups. He gulped.

"Uh…"

Katniss snorted. "She's the most sought after trainer here, next to Cato. People who are extreme like extreme trainers."

A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. "Must uh…be an acquired taste?"

She snorted with laughter again. "We'll call it that, yeah. Just ask Gale."

Peeta frowned, picking up his gym bag. "What do you mean?"

Katniss just shook her head. "Uh, forget it. It's not…I forget you're a client sometimes, Peeta."

Yes, and that's just fiiiine with me, he thought with a little smile. Giving one last look to the petite woman across the room who was now down on the mats, screaming in her clients' face, he raised his eyebrows and kept walking.

"Follow me."

Following her out of the main workout room, he tried not to look too curious as they made their way to the front of the gym.

"So, Crane isn't here today and I have a fifteen minute break before my yoga class. Wanna grab a smoothie with me?"

Peeta gaped at her, pausing mid-step. "What?"

"Crane," she repeated slowly. "My boss? Normally we aren't supposed to take advantage of the smoothie bar in the lobby, but it's totally safe today. Annie usually hooks me up."

Blinking, he shook himself out of the surprise and bobbed his head before he had full control of his tongue enough to speak. It felt like he'd just tried to swallow it.

"Great! Right this way."

Calm down Peeta, he coached himself. She's just inviting you to have a smoothie, he chanted internally. Yet, he still found himself grinning for no reason as they made their way through the gym. He followed her to the lobby of Panem Fitness, where there was a small counter outside of Annie's office. The kind dietician that had helped him with his grocery list and food tracking popped her head out of her office, grinning when she saw Katniss. "The usual?"

"Yeah, and don't forget something for my friend here," Katniss ordered. Annie bounced out to the counter with a wide grin.

"Hey Peeta. Katniss…I've been meaning to talk to you. About developments."

"Bout what? Did something happen?" Katniss asked, her voice taking on an excited tone Peeta hadn't heard her use before. Her grey eyes sparkled with interest as Annie visibly fought to keep her excitement at bay. Interesting.

Peeta watched as Annie began mixing up a few powders with soy milk and bananas, adding in a paste at the end. "Do you like bananas Peeta?" she asked brightly, flashing him smile.

"Oh sure," he nodded, silently hoping Annie would continue talking about whatever it was she'd planned to say to Katniss. Something about the conspiring looks they were sharing told him it wasn't work related. His suspicions were confirmed as she fired up the blender, making it so that he had to strain his ears go hear their conversation. He pretended to be engrossed in a poster nearby that detailed proper health shakes for pre-and post-workouts.

"He came by this morning and said hello, then he just started asking me questions about macros and how to count them and I was just like….since when do you need to diet, Finnick?"

Katniss snorted. "I watched him eat a platter of chili cheese fries at the bar last weekend while he was a pitcher and a half deep in beer. Trust me, that kid doesn't give a rat's ass about counting his damn macros. He just came by to talk to you. It's obvious you have a crush. But ulgh, Finnick?"

Annie giggled. "He makes me laugh. I can't help it. Do you really choose who you fall for?"

"He's such a dumbass! Ulgh, Annie, Annie…"

Peering casually over at them, he watched Annie make a face. "I didn't believe you when you told me he like…had a thing for me…" she giggled, "But now I sorta see it."

"Please. He's been flirting with you for months now, Annie. I've never even seen Finnick pay attention to anything for more than a week, muchness a real person. He can barely sit through a sitcom, yet he comes over here every day to ask you questions about nutrition when he has five percent body fat. Now, he could be worried about maintaining, but…."

"I know," Annie breathed, her tone still excitable. "But Finnick? And me?"

The blender stopped, but Peeta didn't move. He was convinced that he was in the midst of some wonderful trance where the girls had forgotten he existed. He would do anything to hear Katniss give Annie relationship advice. Anything.

"And just why not? You're kind and pretty and smart and about a hundred times more interesting than his normal conquests."

Annie's shoulders slumped. "But that's just it. I don't want to be a conquest. I've never even had a boyfriend before Katniss. And now I have all these scars…." She motioned to her arms and stomach, her expression full of anxiety. "I know he knows I've had surgery, but that's totally different than seeing the proof of it. And he's so…"

"Annie," Katniss snapped, shaking her head. "He's a dumbass, but he's not a cruel dumbass. And if he said a word about you having scars from skin removal surgery, then I'd kick his ass and we both know I could do it. Finnick isn't the type of person to give a crap about any of that. Why don't you first worry about a date, and just…take it one step at a time."

"You think?" Annie sighed, pouring their drinks into cups.

"I do. I mean, you could go out with him once and just be sitting there questioning your life choices and be like, 'there's no chance this dude is going to see me naked, now or ever', and just move on. One date doesn't have to mean all that," Katniss chuckled. Annie laughed too, shaking her head at herself.

"You're probably right…

"You might get him out in public and decide you can't stand him, and then what would all this worrying be for?"

"I know. I'm probably just… freaking out about nothing," she sighed, glancing over to Peeta. "Oh! Peeta, I'm sorry. Here's your smoothies. I'm just talking Katniss' ear off about nothing, and here you are patiently waiting."

Peeta offered her a smile. "It's fine. Just uh…"

"Reading about protein shakes?" Katniss raised an eyebrow at him, her face skeptical.

Peeta's eyes widened, as he'd clearly been caught. "Uh…"

"Just take the smoothie," she shoved the drink at his chest, laughing. "Thanks Annie. And keep me posted!"

"Will do," Annie agreed. "And Peeta, you look great! How's it going?"

"Down sixteen pounds today!" Katniss bragged, making Peeta blush. He looked at his shoes and laughed at her boasting. She sounded like a proud mother hen when she talked about his progress.

"Nice! Keep up the good work!"

Panem Fitness had a huge lobby with couches and chairs in front of a curved, two story glass window facing the busy street. While he normally didn't go for newer, sleek architecture, he had to admit the building was impressive. The bright afternoon sunlight bounced off the walls as they sat in the comfortable chairs in front of the window. Katniss shot him a knowing look.

"So, what's your take on all that?"

"On what?"

She sucked through her straw, rolling her eyes. "That," she motioned to the now empty smoothie counter. "I know you were listening," she teased. "Unless you really that interested in protein shakes?"

"Um…"

"How do you like it, by the way?"

"It's…fine." He took a long drag of his smoothie, hoping the thick substance would give him time to plan what to say. He knew he had to tread very carefully here – even if she had a boyfriend, he didn't want to misstep and say something unattractive to her. What if Gale wasn't always around? As contriving as it felt, he didn't want to spoil his chances for the future.

"Come on…"

"I….I don't know Finnick. Is he the guy with the," he motioned to his head, "the hair? Kinda coppery looking? With the tattoo?"

She nodded. "Yes. That's him. Spends more time on his hair than I do, tans, can do a hundred pushups and not break a sweat, obsessed with his trident tattoo….yeah, that's him."

Katniss met his eyes and gave him a sly smile. "He's a little into himself, but he's a good guy."

Peeta chuckled.

"Well, if he's been talking to her and they get along, then…I think she should go for it. He makes her laugh and they're already sorta friends. Isn't that a good…uhm….starting point?"

Swirling the mixture in her cup, she paused for a moment and nodded. "I guess you're right. At least the date itself wouldn't be as awkward."

Treading carefully, he licked his lips and took another drag of the good but slightly powdery mixture in his cup. "You could always double. Uh, date, that is. You could double date with them, take some of the pressure off."

Shit, he thought. Did that sound as desperate and intrusive to her as it had to him? Cringing internally, he waited for her answer.

"Double date?" she asked, looking at him strangely.

"Yeah."

Katniss shifted in her chair, swirling her cup again as she avoided his eyes. "Maybe Gale and Jo could, but honestly they don't do much outside the bedroom. I'm not even sure if they've ever even exchanged last names, much less eaten a meal in public," she laughed hoarsely at her own joke, coughing into her hand.

Peeta felt the floor shift. Or was that just some remaining dizziness from his workout? He'd almost blacked out on the Stairmaster, but surely that couldn't be causing him to mishear what Katniss had just said.

Raising an eyebrow, she looked at him. "You seem surprised."

Peeta, trying his best to remain calm and stop the buzzing noise in his ears, blinked. "Uh….no, no, I just...about what?"

"That Gale and Jo were dating. Well, not sure I would call it dating," she trailed off quietly, then straightened her spine and looked at him again. "I thought the entire world knew my best friend was screwing that little tyrant," she chuckled. "That's so unprofessional of me, I'm sorry Peeta, I just-"

"-No, its fine," he laughed, trying his best to appear normal. Heat rose in his cheeks and his heart was pounding, but he was fine. Better than fine.

"I guess I didn't know they were uh…a thing. I actually uhm…"

How to get the words out? Was it stupid to admit what he thought to her?

"Never mind."

Katniss sipped her smoothie, and he couldn't help but watch the way her lips curled around the straw. Sitting in front of the window, with the sunlight shining through the loose wisps of her hair, she looked almost angelic. He sighed and tried to regain some semblance of control as she seemed to smile at him in slow motion. Just like an angel…

"Wait, you did not think I was dating that dumbass, did you?!"

Peeta blinked, the spell broken. Speechless, he gaped at her.

Her eyes looked ready to pop out of her head. "Did you think I was dating Gale? Peeta, be honest with me. Did you?"

Nodding slowly, he barely reacted when she reached over the space between them and lightly shoved his shoulder before bursting out laughing.

"Peeta! Oh my God, really? I'm not, nor have I ever dated Gale Hawthorne. Ew, ew, and double ew!"

Not knowing what to say, Peeta could only pretend to laugh at his own stupidity and shrug. All of the sleepless nights since they'd come into the bakery together flashed in front of his eyes, and he felt stupider than ever.

Stupid, but relieved.


ooooh Peeta! Short update this time, but I wanted to get something out there before the holidays got into full swing. I'll try to update again soon! Just crazy around here. Hope you all enjoyed it! (we know Peeta did!)